To Fix Lax Gun Laws

It is not clear how the guns used in the workplace shooting in Wakefield, Mass., were acquired. If they were from out of state, this shooting highlights the problem of lax gun laws in many states, improper regulation of sales over the Internet, and the need for measures to combat gun trafficking nationwide.

Sensible proposals are awaiting enactment by Congress: mandatory background checks at gun shows, licensing and registration of handgun owners, a one-gun-per-month limit on purchases, and support for new agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to identify gun traffickers and licensed gun dealers who break the law. Such action will help reduce firearm injuries and deaths, and may help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred in Massachusetts.